Hello toounit and welcome to WonderCafe.

So this is a good way to start productive discussion.  Slap the people you want to have the conversation with.  Great icebreaker.  I'm not familiar with how it is supposed to work do I slap you back now or what?

Just as I am sure you wouldn't presume to speak for all Agnostics or Atheists I won't presume to answer for all Christians.  I think individuals, of whatever stripe look down on others who are more interested in polemics.  If someone wants a discussion and invites others to share one they tend to get a better reception than walking up to someone and introducing yourself by attempting to kick them in the groin.

Perhaps I spoke to soon.  Maybe you do presume to speak for all Atheists and Agnostics.  You certainly have no problem telling me what I would say.

Unfortunate typo or are you trying to bait a specific type of reactionary Christian to use as Christian exemplar?

Assuming (with all the risk that implies) that you aren't asking the question rhetorically and that it is a legitimate attempt at conversation I would answer yes.

That gets me in hot-water with other Christians as well as Atheists because it doesn't play into their shared belief in Biblical literalism.

Evolution is to Creation as Hammer is to Carpenter.

It posits that one cannot know for certain and runs contrary to Gnosticism in a similar way that Atheism runs contrary to Theism.  Understood in this manner Agnosticism has be an asset to the history of theology in that it states that the search for God cannot ever end and probably influences the Reformational Credo of "The Church Reformed and always Reforming" and Panentheism which is process driven theism.

Was there anything more specific about Agnostic Philosophy that you wanted to discuss?

Grace and peace to you.

John

 Thanks for your interesting answers! And sorry if my questions were "durp durp durp." I'm a dumb 15 year old who has nothing better to do than to become less ignorant, and I say that with the least amount of sarcasm possible.

As far as Agnostic Philosophy goes, what are your views on Nihilism? I myself think that that is a horrifying way to live life. 

hello there toounit,

Have you hoid of the Einstein quote "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind"?
 

Don't you think that is a good formula? We find out aboot Reality using the value-neutral (-human) method...then figure out why to use them using a value-laden (+human) method?

"Belief is the death of intelligence. As soon as one believes a doctrine of any sort, or assumes certitude, one stops thinking about that aspect of existence."

--Robert Anton Wilson

Agnostically fundamentalist,

Inannawhimsey

My views regarding agnostic philosophy? I really don't know.

Hi toounit,

Ask an interesting question and you get interesting answers.

The questions aren't durp durp.  The questions are legitimate.  I'm pointing out that some of the framing behind the questions appears to be shutting conversation down instead of opening it up.

I turned 44 yesterday and I'm still on that quest.

I don't think Nihilism fits into Agnosticism.  They sound similar but point to slightly different ideas.

Nihilism ultimately brings everything down to nothing.  God is dead is nihilism.  It becomes totalitarian in scope.  All study is essentially meaningless since nothing has meaning.

Agnosticism argues that ultimately we cannot know which posits that there is something but it is beyond our ability to grasp.  God may be dead is agnosticism.  Agnosticism isn't totalitarian it is probably more akin to mysticism where proponents freely acknowledge that all things cannot be known fully.  Study is pursued because knowledge of things can be aquired although it can never be complete.

I'm not a big fan of Nihilism either.  In its milder forms it promotes apathy while more severe manifestations of it may tend towards destructive socio-pathologies.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Happy Belated B-day, John...cms

I'd suggest that anyone - atheist or theist - who doesn't have the slightest agnostic thread is merely deluding themselves when the subject area is unknowable except for the ideal of true personal contact.

But at the same time, someone who's an “Agnostic” re God alone seems to take it to an overriding, cop-out level and applies it with no logical consistency. ... Most agnostics that I've met will say:

- there's no Santa; but balk with 'God'

- there's no Ra; but balk with 'God'

- there's no FSM; but balk with 'God'

- there's no gnomes; but balk with 'God'

- there's no black magic; but balk with 'God' … etc., etc., etc., etc.

There is equal evidence (none whatsoever) for any of these and a billion more. I submit that they (you) need to think and reason like they do in all ‘non-God’ circumstances and move to an agnostic theist or agnostic atheist position! … ( Not 'special treatment' for one 'God'. ) 

The salvation army.  There, I've just debunked your claim of "nothing but evil and war upon this earth". :)

If I ever look down on anyone, its because they refuse for some reason to accept people for who they are (this includes both religious and non-religious peoples.  For example; a religious person not accepting non-religious people because they are "heathens" or something.  And Non-religious people not accepting religious people because they "are totally stupid to believe in God).

  I have to say, Freemasonry has a good idea that the rest of society could take a hint from regarding religious belief. 

If someone wants to believe in God....what's it to ya?  Does it really matter that much to anyone if someone is a believer or non-believer?  Can't we all just get along?

Nice use of God & science lol.  Of course it's possible to be a christian and believe in evolution.  Just as it is to be a Muslim like me and believe in evolution...like me. 

Science is a study of God's miracles.

As-Salaamu Alaikum

-Omni

I'm not agnostic; I'm a gnostic.

(You see, that little space between the "a" and the "g" makes all the difference in the world—it is the world! :-)

How can anyone know anything?  We're just "arrogant monkeys" with the capacity to apprehend "reality" through primate-specific senses only. 

I'm an agnostic.